Scores Of Events Celebrate National Bike Month

Simsbury Encouraging Everyone 'To Come Along For The Ride'

Biking in Simsbury along the trail. (Bruno Hazen/East Coast…)

May 02, 2012|By ERIC VO, The Hartford Courant

Ready to get out on your bike and start exploring Connecticut?

Simbury is.

May is National Bike Month, and to celebrate Bike Walk Simsbury, a volunteer group made up of advocates, town officials and businesses, is encouraging everyone to "Come Along For The Ride!" by organizing more than 20 bike rides and events in town throughout the month, which are suitable for all ages and skill levels.

And with several locations of Simsbury Free Bike cycle centers opening, even those who don't have a bike will have a chance to take part in the celebrations. During the biking season, which runs from May through October, anyone 18-years-old or older can visit a cycle center and pay a $10 refundable deposit to rent a bike with a basket, helmet, lock and map for 24 hours, says Marie Potter, a member of Bike Walk Simsbury and lead organizer for May biking events there.

And events go beyond pedaling. On May 19, "Artwalk Simsbury!" will be a bicycle themed celebration of the arts when local sculptor Vincente Garcia unveils his 500 pound metal bicycle, three times the size of a standard bike, at 11 a.m.. It will be installed in early June along Hopmeadow Street adjacent to the bicycle trail. Artwalk, which runs through 5 p.m. along Route 10 in the center of Simsbury. It will feature music, painting dance, glassblowing and 60 exhibitors and activities for kids. The event is a fund raiser for the ABC House, a residence with supervision to help nine young men get through Simsbury High School and prepare for college. Details: http://www.artwalksimsbury.com.

Simsbury Free Bike, which was started last summer, and Bike Walk Simsbury, which started back in January, was organized in an effort to raise awareness of the benefits of bicycling, such as health, recreation and family time, Potter said.

"The intent was to encourage more residents and visitors to Simsbury to get out on the trails, even if they didn't own a bike," she said. "Last season, more than 150 bikes were borrowed — more than half were riders who did not live in Simsbury."

In 2010 Simsbury was named the first bicycle-friendly community in Southern New England by the League of American Bicyclists. It is now one of 179 cities or towns to have that title across the U.S.

The first family bike ride of the month, "The Bicycle Cellar Family Trail Ride," will be on Thursday, May 3, at 6 p.m. at The Bicycle Cellar, 532 Hopemeadow St. All ages are welcome on the easy 10-mile ride.

There will be plenty of bike rides throughout the week, such as an easy to intermediate 30-mile "Fun Ride" on Friday, May 4, at 10 a.m. (meet at the Weatogue Commuter Lot).

All skill levels are welcome to the Valley Cycling Rides on Saturday, May 5, at 9 a.m. for a 10, 25 or 40-mile ride (meet at Simsbury Meadows, Iron Horse Boulevard). There will also be a yoga class at Valley Yoga, 730 Hopmeadow St., from 4 to 6 p.m. on Saturday. Registration is required and there is a fee.

Go on another ride with Valley Cycling Rides on Monday, May 7, at 6 p.m. Cyclists should meet at the Simsbury Meadows parking lot for the 20 or 33 mile bike ride, which is suitable for intermediate and advanced riders.

There will be an easy to intermediate ride on Wednesday, May 9, at 5:30 p.m. The Royal Screw Velo Club Ride, which will be 25 miles long, will start at the Chubb Parking Lot, 82 Hopmeadow St.

The month won't just be full of bike rides, as Bike Walk Simsbury also organized several events for families. Come out to the Bike Rodeo on Sunday, May 6, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., where children up to 6th grade can have their bicycle and helmets checked for size by the Simsbury Police Department. Simsbury residents can also register their bikes for easy tracking if lost or stolen.

For those looking to take a break from the riding, prepared to be amazed on Sunday, May 6, at 1 p.m. at the Simsbury Meadows, where Mike Steidley, a nine-time national champion stunt rider, performs his extreme tricks on a mountain bike.

And for those who want to learn about biking, there will be a teen and adult bike education class on Tuesday, May 8, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Simsbury Library, 725 Hopmeadow St.